What is the most outlandish project, service, or job that a long-time or one-time client has asked you to do?
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Andy31

11-20-2011, 12:15 AM

I had a woman ask me to trim the burnt tips off her Cast Iron plants. I have to use scissors and cut each one to natural looking point. It took 1hr per 10' of plants and she had me do all 120'. It came out really nice, but damn I hand weird blisters from holding the scissors, at least I learned to cut left handed too.

StihlMechanic

11-20-2011, 12:17 AM

I had a woman ask me to trim the burnt tips off her Cast Iron plants. I have to use scissors and cut each one to natural looking point. It took 1hr per 10' of plants and she had me do all 120'. It came out really nice, but damn I hand weird blisters from holding the scissors, at least I learned to cut left handed too.

And you charged how much?

corey4671

11-20-2011, 12:39 AM

Guy called last week wanting me to burn a brush pile one limb at a time. Why? Because his wife loves animals and there could be rabbits living in the brush pile. So he wanted me to move each individual limb to the fire to make sure no rabbits were burned up.
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FoghornLeghorn

11-20-2011, 01:03 AM

This insane HOA member specified in the scope of work that the 2 acres of grass needing cutting must be done with a hand pushed reel mower, all drives needed to be swept instead of blown, all grass raked up and bagged, shrubs needed to be trimmed with hand shears.

She didn't think the noise from mowers and handhelds was "harmonious"

We bid $9,800 per month, knowing full well we wouldn't get the job. Their budget was $1,300/month.

CLARK LAWN

11-20-2011, 11:41 AM

I had a mowing customer who's uncle died. They asked me if I would go to the uncles house and dig up his cat which had died about a month earlier so they could be buried together.
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bob

11-20-2011, 06:32 PM

I had a new HOA ask me to bid their open areas. On the spec sheet it stated that the lawn had to be bagged. It was at least 20 acres.

nortonlawncare

11-20-2011, 06:41 PM

I had a couple ask me to put crushed stone over their whole yard, they said they hated weeds and grass and the sound of mowers drove them crazy.
It was about a half acre! i refused the job, i drive by there all the time and they did find someone to do it, i gotta tell you it looks like absolute ****!

baldoni

11-20-2011, 11:26 PM

This insane HOA member specified in the scope of work that the 2 acres of grass needing cutting must be done with a hand pushed reel mower, all drives needed to be swept instead of blown, all grass raked up and bagged, shrubs needed to be trimmed with hand shears.

She didn't think the noise from mowers and handhelds was "harmonious"

We bid $9,800 per month, knowing full well we wouldn't get the job. Their budget was $1,300/month.

This was the funniest thing I've ever read in my life. I am curious if they found someone.

ProMo

11-24-2011, 08:49 PM

Several years ago a customer passed away and the relatives asked me to spread her ashed in the lawn. I refused but it was a bit dusty the following week.

ProMo

11-24-2011, 08:51 PM

Several years ago a customer passed away and the relatives asked me to spread her ashes in the lawn. I refused but it was a bit dusty the following week.

thunderthud

11-24-2011, 10:02 PM

Elderly neighbor next door to one of my properties asked my guys to mow her yard. They said she had to call the office, and she did. When I spoke to her she offered the princely sum of $5 dollars per week sent every day, in cash if I wanted, following service and a tip of 4 bits for the guys. I told her I would take care it for her, but she insisted on 'paying what the job was worth.'

We mow her lawn weekly and she sends $20.00 a month and tips the guys in person.

I'm told the lemon meringue is divine, and the cookies are worth the trip.

PlantscapeSolutions

11-25-2011, 10:03 AM

I landscaped a cemetary plot for someone a few years back. It was all of one 5G Mountain Laurel and a few yards of pea gravel. I had to rent a mini skid steer to scrape out some soil. I bid $1500 knowing knowbody would would bid a job like this and made a grand for any easy days work.

For another customer who's wife had passed away I over seeded his wife's plot with Bermuda.

I once met a lady who I could tell was nuts so I didn't even give her a bid and later on she burned her house down.

I had a elderly retired doctor and his wife go loony tunes on on us and accuse us of mowing the grass to the dirt when in reality it was just fall fungus in St. Augustine. They were both on the phone taking turns yelling at me like a tag team duo. They were great customers then just went bonkers. Time for meds and assisted living.

DVF Lawn Care

11-27-2011, 09:17 AM

About a month ago I had an elderly couple who are great customers ask me to wash their house. It was a ranch and the roof hung over about 4' on each side of the house and that was the part I was supposed to wash. The catch was I had to get up on the ladder with a bucket of **** n span and a towel and wash it all by hand. The only reason I gave it a try was because I didn't want them to go up on the ladder and try it themselves. Needless to say after about 25 minutes of making no progress I told them I had to leave but I would do it with a power washer.

Patriot Services

11-27-2011, 09:28 AM

Elderly neighbor next door to one of my properties asked my guys to mow her yard. They said she had to call the office, and she did. When I spoke to her she offered the princely sum of $5 dollars per week sent every day, in cash if I wanted, following service and a tip of 4 bits for the guys. I told her I would take care it for her, but she insisted on 'paying what the job was worth.'

We mow her lawn weekly and she sends $20.00 a month and tips the guys in person.

I'm told the lemon meringue is divine, and the cookies are worth the trip.

So next season you're going to raise her to a glass of milk with the pie and cookies?
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Darryl G

11-27-2011, 10:29 AM

I think the craziest thing I was ever asked to do was to plant Poison Ivy to grow up a trellis on the side of a house. They wanted the berries to provide food for the birds. I declined the job.

4 seasons lawn&land

11-27-2011, 10:41 AM

Elderly neighbor next door to one of my properties asked my guys to mow her yard. They said she had to call the office, and she did. When I spoke to her she offered the princely sum of $5 dollars per week sent every day, in cash if I wanted, following service and a tip of 4 bits for the guys. I told her I would take care it for her, but she insisted on 'paying what the job was worth.'

We mow her lawn weekly and she sends $20.00 a month and tips the guys in person.

I'm told the lemon meringue is divine, and the cookies are worth the trip.

Thats nice. I hope its not a million dollar house though.

thunderthud

11-27-2011, 11:03 AM

So next season you're going to raise her to a glass of milk with the pie and cookies?

Nope, I'm going to continue to collect the five bucks a week. I should put her on the payroll as a property manager, she rats out the tenants in my building for everything they do wrong.

Thats nice. I hope its not a million dollar house though.
It's a small house on a postage stamp lot in the inner city of a Massachusetts mill town. It takes 5 minutes with the reel mower and 5 minutes with the trimmer along the fences.